Tamil Nadu government ready to take over private medical college

Written By kom nampultig on Kamis, 28 November 2013 | 07.20

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras high court that it was ready to take over the DD Medical College and DD Hospital without any liability if the court issues a direction to that effect.

A submission to this effect was made before Justice K K Sasidharan by advocate-general of Tamil Nadu A L Somayaji on Thursday, when writ petitions of students seeking a direction to the state government to take over and administer the college came up for hearing. Another writ petition filed by the college management challenging a Medical Council of India order dated October 14 on student admission was also part of the batch.

"The state government is prepared to consider taking over DD Medical College and DD Hospital, provided the assets and liabilities of the institution are disclosed. The advocate-general made a further statement that in case this court directs the state government to take over the institution, the government is prepared to take over the institution without liability," said Justice Sasidharan, while reserving orders in the matter.

The judge, who had already reserved the matter for orders last week, posted the matter for further hearing on November 27 after advocate-general Somayaji mentioned the matter on November 25 stating that he wanted to make a statement on behalf of the state government. The matter was then adjourned to Thursday, when Somayaji said government was prepared to take over the institution without liability.

When senior counsel for the college V Prakash said that the issue of takeover of the college was now pending before the Supreme Court, senior counsel Nalini Chidambaram representing students welfare association clarified that no such SLP was pending in the apex court as it had already granted students liberty to move the high court for takeover of the institution. She said she would circulate the Supreme Court orders on November 29.